Research status and prospects on plant canopy structure measurement using visual sensors based on three-dimensional reconstruction

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) plant canopy structure analysis is an important part of plant phenotype studies. To promote the development of plant canopy structure measurement based on 3D reconstruction, we reviewed the latest research progress achieved using visual sensors to measure the 3D plant canopy structure from four aspects, including the principles of 3D plant measurement technologies, the corresponding instruments and specifications of different visual sensors, the methods of plant canopy structure extraction based on 3D reconstruction, and the conclusion and promise of plant canopy measurement technology. In the current research phase on 3D structural plant canopy measurement techniques, the leading algorithms of every step for plant canopy structure measurement based on 3D reconstruction are introduced. Finally, future prospects for a standard phenotypical analytical method, rapid reconstruction, and precision optimization are described.